Example 1
Problem: Suppose two programmers are collaborating, but working independently to create a single Python program to calculate taxes for a client.
- The program calculates state and federal taxes for the client.
- One programmer is working on the state taxes, the other is working on the federal taxes.
- Each programmer defines a variable “rate” and a function “doCalculation”.
- When their code is merged into the single file (e.g., calculate_taxes.py), the duplicate “rate” variables and “doCalculation” functions cause conflicts–the program will not compile.
Solution: Each programmer creates code in a separate file or “module”…
- calculate_state.py: Calculates the state tax using a “private” variable for “rate” and a private function for “doCalculation”.
- calculate_federal.py: Calculates the federal tax using a different private variable for “rate” and a different private function for “doCalculation”.
- The variables and functions defined in each file are “private” and “distinct” from one another.
- The main program, calculate_taxes.py, “imports” each module and calls functions inside them using “dot notation”.
import calculate_state import calculate_federal state_tax = calculate_state.doCalculation() federal_tax = calculate_federal.doCalculation()
Example 2
This example illustrates a very simple (“minimal”) generic package and how to use it.
- Create a directory for this example, e.g., “example”.
- Create a sub-directory of “example” called “my_package”. Inside the “my_package” directory, create two files:
- __init__.py: This file is (typically) empty and just lets the Python compiler know that the directory in which it is located is to be considered to be and is used as a “module”.
- my_module.py: This file contains the code that makes up the module “my_module” inside the package “my_package”.
Sample contents of “my_module.py”:
x = 12 def f(y): return x + 2 * y
- In the “example” directory, create file “use_package.py”. This file is a Python program that uses the “my_package” module.
Sample contents of “use_package.py”:
import my_package.my_module print(my_package.my_module.f(3))
